Fluoride is a natural mineral commonly found in many foods and drinking water. Did you know that fluoride helps prevent tooth decay and can even reverse the early stages of decay by remineralizing your tooth enamel? While the fluoride in drinking water is beneficial, you may also consider fluoride treatment from a Park Ridge dentist to further protect your teeth. This treatment is especially effective if the bacteria infection hasn’t severely damaged your teeth, allowing the fluoride to restore your tooth’s health.

So, what are the benefits of fluoride treatment, and what should you expect during the procedure? Read on to discover how fluoride treatment can enhance your oral health and the steps involved in the process.

What Are the Benefits of Fluoride Treatment?

  • It slows down the process of losing minerals in your tooth. (demineralization).
  • It reverses the early effects of tooth decay.
  • Restores lost minerals in your tooth’s enamel. (Remineralization)- acid from the foods and drinks we take to do more than damage our tooth’s enamel. The acids also destroy the minerals in our teeth, like calcium and phosphorus. Fluoride treatment reverses the damage caused by these acids by adding essential minerals back into your teeth.
  • Protects your enamel- drinking beverages that contain high levels of acid can lead to the breakdown of your tooth’s enamel. Fluoride fortifies your tooth’s enamel preventing acids from breaking it down.
  • It saves you money in the long run- it might seem costly to pay for fluoride treatment. However, going for fluoride treatment saves you money by protecting your enamel from cavities and decay. It is more expensive to treat tooth decay and cavities than to go for fluoride treatment.
  • Provides a natural preventative- fluoride is a natural mineral found in groundwater and the ocean. When you drink fluoridated water daily or go for fluoride treatment, you’re naturally and effectively preventing damage to your teeth.

What To Expect During Professional Fluoride Treatment

You can visit your dentist in Park Ridge for fluoride treatment, even without the signs of tooth decay. Fluoride treatment can be a way of protecting your teeth from decay and cavities. Nevertheless, knowing the early signs of decay is essential in saving your tooth. These signs include bad breath, toothache, black spots in your teeth and tooth sensitivity.

On the other hand, you can take your child to the dentist near you for fluoride treatment to ensure their teeth are free from cavity-causing bacteria. After visiting the dentist, they may perform fluoride treatment after routine cleaning or dental exam.

The good thing about this procedure is that it takes a few minutes to complete. The dentist may apply the mineral, which comes in gel, foam or varnish form. The concentration of professional fluoride is more than what is found in drinking water.

A brush is used to apply the fluoride gel or varnish on your teeth’s surface. The fluoride is then left for around 30 minutes to be absorbed into the teeth. During this period, you should not eat or drink anything.

So, who can benefit from this treatment? You might benefit from fluoride treatment if:

You have dry mouth or xerostomia – a side effect of healthcare conditions and medications that hinder saliva production. Saliva is essential in washing away food particles and bacteria from your teeth. Low saliva production leaves your teeth susceptible to cavities and gum disease.

You have a history of tooth decay – if you’ve had tooth decay, opting for fluoride treatment can help fortify your tooth against future decay and cavities.

You have gum disease – gum disease exposes your gums and teeth to bacteria, increasing the risk of tooth decay. A fluoride treatment will remineralize your teeth, providing the necessary defence against harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay.

You have dental restorations like dentures, braces, crowns and bridges – bacteria and food particles can be stuck under your dental restoration. Poor oral hygiene means the bacteria and food particles can combine, leading to tooth decay. Fluoride treatment can make your teeth more resistant to the action of acids (a combination of food debris and bacteria), preventing tooth decay.

Conclusion

Going for professional fluoride treatment every 3,6, or 12 months is advisable. The frequency with which you go depends on your oral health. If this is your first-time hearing about fluoride treatment, don’t hesitate to visit Complete Health Dentistry of Park Ridge for your first fluoride treatment.